It’s no secret that renters want smart home technology, but getting started with smart home deployment can be intimidating. Which devices you need, how to choose, and what kind of provider you can rely on are all difficult questions for property managers just beginning to explore smart home. The decision about how to upgrade your property with smart home technology should be based on the potential for it to both enhance your daily operations and create new revenue-generating opportunities. This guide will show you what to look for in a vendor and how to identify what devices you need.
Choosing a Smart Home Provider
The first step to successful smart home adoption is choosing a provider that can help you achieve your goals. Start with selecting not just a vendor, but a partner you can trust. It is vital to ensure that your smart home system is fully integrated and meets your needs, and the way to do that is through a provider with strong support and flexible, comprehensive solutions. Here are some key considerations when choosing a vendor:
Comprehensive capabilities: A smart home platform with a centralized data dashboard for real-time oversight of community operations and device status. Data is vital to maximizing your smart home ROI, and a good provider will offer these insights.
Integrations/scalability: Support for different protocols such as Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and Matter. This backwards compatibility is also important if you have an existing smart home ecosystem, or if you want renters to be able to integrate their own devices that they purchase.
Resident experience: User-friendly renter app so your residents can enjoy the convenience of controlling their unit devices from anywhere, at any time. Smart home tech can quickly go from an investment to a headache if the resident experience is glitchy and unreliable.
Strong support: Customer support to aid any members of your staff who may be struggling with adoption, and installer/technician support for a smooth deployment. It’s also important to offer resources such as pamphlets and help articles that can tackle resident questions from the start.
Maintenance: Ability for residents to submit and track maintenance requests though the resident app. This should also connect to the larger platform, allowing you to automatically grant/revoke vendor access at the appropriate times.
Choosing Smart Home Hardware
Once you are confident with your platform, it’s time to start choosing your devices. Remember to keep it simple—more is not always better. Be purposeful about the devices you deploy. With the right partner, your solutions should be scalable, allowing you to add more devices as you grow.
Here are our recommendations for the devices and features that will create the most impact, and what they can bring you:
Smart Home Hub:
A hub acts like a brain for your smart home ecosystem, connecting all of your devices together. It’s vital that the hub you choose has superior uptime and multiple connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, cellular, Z-Wave, and Matter. This can nip a lot of hardware troubleshooting in the bud!
Smart Lock:
The biggest benefit that smart locks offer is automation. Find a lock that works with your PMS so you can provide convenient unit access to renters, vendors, and staff. Smart locks can streamline the move-in/move-out process, giving you the option to eliminate keys and add, remove, or change individual user codes with ease. Managers and residents can also set up durational or one-time codes for guests and service providers. This also enables self-guided tours, where you can securely and automatically generate codes via a compatible platform.
Community Access Control Devices:
A smart access control system that integrates with your PMS, touring software, and other smart home or security devices, will make a huge difference when it comes to streamlining your workflows, visitor management, and resident access. While not strictly a part of “smart home” tech, access panels/keypads at community entrances should be as easy for residents to use as smart locks and use the same app. This way, residents can unlock everything from their phones, with no need to carry keys or even switch between apps.
Smart Thermostat:
Often cited as renters’ most-desired smart home device, smart thermostats are an excellent way to improve resident satisfaction while reducing utility bills. Deploying smart thermostats extends the life of your HVAC system by remotely monitoring its performance, alerting you of faulty units and ensuring timely repairs. Managers and residents can also set custom schedules, like enabling vacation mode when the home/unit is unoccupied.
Water Leak Sensor:
Multifamily properties average 4-5 water leaks every year, with each incident costing up to $12,000. Smart leak sensors minimize those damage expenses by detecting problems early, saving money and headaches for both residents and managers.
Conclusion
When choosing smart home devices, carefully consider your business goals and think strategically. Do your own research, survey your residents, and most importantly, don’t rush. Taking a purposeful, holistic approach to smart home deployment will ensure long-lasting success and maximum ROI. This also goes for choosing a smart home vendor who can support your needs and help you scale as you grow.
For more information about how Rently can help you achieve your goals, book a demo today.
